It is estimated that over 600,000 Christmas trees will be harvested by 80 Irish growers as Christmas 2018 approaches.
Of these, 400,000 will be for the domestic market, while 200,000 will be exported to markets in the UK, Germany and France.
The Christmas tree industry is estimated to be worth €21m annually to the national economy.
Peak condition
Chair of the Irish Christmas Tree Growers (ICTG) Christy Kavanagh said: “It can take between seven and 10 years before an Irish-grown Christmas tree is in peak condition and ready for harvesting.
"We are expecting an excellent harvest this year, as growing conditions have been particularly good. Trees are displaying a good colour, so we are looking at an excellent 2018 crop.”
The two most popular species of Christmas tree are the non-shed nordmann fir (70%) and noble fir (20%).
ICTG has called on the public to buy Irish-grown trees by looking for the ‘Love a Real Tree’ label. The label is part of a campaign by ICTG to help consumers support the local economy by sourcing Irish trees.